Ballot Procedure

The absentee ballot comes with three envelopes - one plain (the secrecy envelope), one with an affidavit, or oath, printed on the outside, and one plain envelope, pre-addressed (the outer envelope). Once the voter casts the ballot, the procedure is as follows:

Seal the ballot in the plain envelope

Place the plain envelope inside the accompanying affidavit envelope

Seal the affidavit envelope and complete the affidavit that is on the outside of the envelope

Sign the affidavit and have the signature witnessed by either a notary public or two witnesses 18 years of age or older

Place the affidavit envelope and a copy of voter identification inside the outer envelope

Remember to place a copy of your I.D. (not the original) inside the outer envelope

Witnesses or Notarization
An absentee ballot cannot be counted unless the affidavit is notarized or has the signatures of 2 witnesses.

The voter has only the following legal ways to return the absentee ballot:

Forwards the absentee ballot by U.S. Mail

Personally hands the absentee ballot to the absentee election manager (or delivers by a designee in the case of emergency absentee voting)

Voting Deadline
An absentee ballot returned by mail must be postmarked no later than the day prior to the election. If hand-delivered, the ballot must be in the office of the Absentee Election Manager by the close of business (but no later than 5 p.m.) on the day prior to the election and can only be delivered personally by voter.